Depressed for the straight 13th day after advice that her divorce had become absolute, Tui Lane went to the supermarket as she always did on a Friday. She'd stupidly thought her life would turn around after the divorce finalized but nothing had happened. Not a solitary thing.
Damn, didn't life suck!
Her girlfriends, all married, had assured her she'd have more guys hanging out with her than she could accommodate as soon as she dumped useless Jared who'd decided he was gay and had gone back to live with his mom.
Now her girlfriends were unified in saying it would take time and agreed with Louise that if she waited long enough something would happen. What was wrong with those women? Had marriage left them brain dead?
Waiting at the checkout Tui looked idly across to the next counter, as one tends to do when in line at a supermarket checkout. It's an alternative to studying the head of the person, er, ahead. A guy, about her age, looked straight at her and winked.
Tui stared at him, panic racing through her. The guy looked embarrassed and turned to study what was in his shopping trolley as if he didn't already know.
This was unbelievable. Tui, about to turn thirty, couldn't ever recall a guy winking at her. This guy probably had two wives and a dozen kids but he'd bothered to communicate with a wink.
Ohmigod, it was his way of saying he wanted sex. Tui became indignant. She wasn't that easy to bed; how dare he.
She left the checkout with her purchases thinking he'd bump her trolley into hers and then grab at a breast or whatever guys do when they want sex. She couldn't remember the technique because it was almost a decade ago since she'd been into casual sex. Before she had time to speculate whether he would be packing a condom she looked up and saw only females. The poor guy had done a runner.
She was so unhappy about that. All he had to do was to say he was unable to touch her because he was married. She would have smiled and said that had been the nicest flirt she'd received in. ages and then thank him for stroking her ego.
She opened the lift gate of the SUV. Jared had got the Mercedes saloon, boat and beach house in the marital asset carve-up. Who the hell wanted an Explorer when they didn't wish to explore or wish to intimidate female drivers in small sedans when on the highway?
"Hi," said a guy moving right up to her.
It was him, the winker.
Tui was dumbstruck.
"May I help load?"
"No, yes."
He smiled, a killer smile. "Which is it, yes or no?"
"It's unnecessary to assist. I'm a capable female."
Ignoring that he began unloading the trolley and said he was sure she was. His hands moved fast and the eight items were in taking about the speed of a dozen winks. Tui had stood back to avoid body contract.
"Why did you wink at me inside the supermarket?"
"At the checkout I looked across and thought you are so beautiful but your face was set, expressionless. I thought you needed perking up at little so winked to assure you life goes on. You appeared to be embarrassed and that embarrassed me. So I decided to come over and apologize for being too forward.
"I don't recall anyone every winking at me."
"Good god," he smiled, closing the life gate. "I'd expect you to receive at least ten winks a day. Are you sure you are focused sufficiently to recognize them and not confusing them with blinks?"
"Are you married?"
The guy didn't appear to be thrown by that comment.
"Not any more. My wife ran off on me with her best friend's husband last year so I'm an unhappy divorcee."
"Unhappy?"
"Yes my pals said once I cut my tie through divorce I'd have women swarming around me."
"But nothing like that happened and you thought your pals were talking crap?"
"Um yes. You're a divorcee too, aren't you?"
"God do I look that much lost and pathetic?"
"No, your friend Louise Marks told me about you and that you shop here Fridays and when you go to the supermarket you habitually wear a beret, usually red. You are Tui Lane I believe."
"Well I can't fault the information you were given and the expertise of your interception so therefore congratulate you. Well done. I guess we should have coffee."
The guy looked at his watch. "What about a couple of wines over a light lunch?"
"How civilized," Tui smiled. "We're off to a good start aren't we? What's your name?"
"Oh gosh, how rude of me. I'm Cody Ryder."
"The attorney?"
"Yes and according to Louise you are a dental surgeon."
"Your information is correct Cody. Look perhaps I should say at the outset after nine years of marriage I'm unsure whether I'm promiscuous."
"Well I could say it could be fun finding out but that would suggest I'm working to a game plan, wouldn't it?"
"Yes and I would be shocked and possibly offended but because obviously you are without a game plan I'm left unaffected and understandable wonder if you do have a game plan."
"Are you sure you're not an attorney?"
They laughed and walked over to the restaurant beside the supermarket.
Drinking wine Tui asked, "Are you bitter about your divorce?"
"Initially I was but time heals and I was determined to forget the bad parts quickly. And you?"
"I foolishly used a friend who is an attorney who specializes in business law and she got the house for me but not the Mercedes saloon that I wanted so much. I ended up with the older SUV."
"Is that so bad considering you got part of what you really wanted and a house is important to women?"
"I suppose I should be satisfied."
"My dad acted for me. We settled so amicably because my ex was riddled with guilt."
